Child Custody & Visitation

The health and security of children experiencing the breakup of their parents are rightly the most important drivers in any child custody arrangement. Parental stress, frustration, and sadness filter directly down to children, despite a parent’s best intentions. In these situations, the importance of having pragmatic legal counsel on your side cannot be overstated.

Forester Purcell Stowell attorneys have the ability to quickly handle any uncertainty regarding a safe and consistent parenting plan as soon as the divorce or breakup process begins — a key tenet to ensuring the children suffer as little stress as possible. Before any court hears from either parent regarding a parenting plan, the parents must expect the following:

To see a mental health person – a mediator – who will facilitate an agreement between the parents.

Failing a full agreement, the mediator will make recommendations to the court about the parenting plan that is best for the children.

Mediation (more officially known as Child Custody Recommending Counseling) can be done through Family Court Services at the courthouse, or through a private mediator.

Success in the room with the mediator is often crucial to the resulting recommendations. Our lawyers provide comprehensive premediation preparation to familiarize our clients with the process and to provide guidance on presenting information most helpful to the mediator.

If mediation recommendations require a court hearing or trial, or if the parenting plan needs to be modified, we have years of experience advocating for parents before a judge. Because the resulting custody and visitation orders can have such a sweeping and long lasting impact, our attorneys advocate aggressively on your behalf.